I'm in awe of the comments I received from my last post! It looks like some of you are or have been in the same stormy boat I've been in. It can be brutal, but it can also be manageable.
When I was first writing up that post, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to publish it. I was worried it may sound negative (hell, I'm iffy about publishing this!). My life is far from perfect, and sometimes in the blogging community we never see a blogger's real life, if that makes sense. All we get is a window view of their perfect photos, perfect outfits, and so forth. Now, for all we know their lives could be far from absolutely amazing, and maybe they chose not to share personal details for many different reasons. That's fine and absolutely a-ok! But in my case, it was something I wanted to write about for a while. I know there's a social stigma regarding depression and mental illness, and I for one don't want to feel hindered by it. It was an absolute release being able to be upfront about what I've been feeling the past little while.
Eventually I want to write more about my experiences in an abusive relationship. I've written about it before, but that post is almost a year old. My outlook has changed, and I've gotten my laughter back for the most part (yay!). But I guarantee there are women out there who've been in abusive relationships and are afraid to open up. You may even know someone right now in that predicament. I hope by me writing my experiences down, it may help someone out in some way.
Ah, but I digress.
Back to the main issue of depression -- I want to reach out to you all and ask a question: When the blues hits you, what do you do to stop it in its tracks? What are some positive actions you take? I'd love to hear how you cope when the storm cloud strikes. I know others would like to as well, as no one is immune to depression.
Hope you all had a great weekend! I'll share some photos from mine later.
Later gators,
~E
13 comments:
I've had my depression for a few years now and I'm completely up front about it with my friends/boyfriends. When the blues hit me, the most common thing that I do is go to my friends and tell them that I'm not in a good mood and ask if its ok if I tag along with the for awhile because I don't want to be by myself. Over the past few years, I have also gotten into herbal medicine and I found out the the herb called St. John's Wort is fantastic for those that suffer from depression and it really helps. It doesn't make me super hyper or anything, but rather it just helps ease you out of it.
I'm so glad all those comments helped - I recently posted about depression and was really afraid to but reading your post is what really helped!
Honestly, when it hits, it's hard for me to actually do something to get it off my mind or to get out of my rut.. I guess sometimes I write and listen to music.. seems really cliche but it helps. Sometimes I'll look through my favorite book and re-read my favorite quotes, too!
i just read your other post i think its amazing your focusing and loving yourself thats a great place to start. I have battled bad anexiety which gives me depression since i was really young and also weight issues going up and down and being so obsessed with losing weight i was hurting myself. I go through periods when i'm completly fine and then out of nowhere i get depressed and stressed. What i normally do is throw myself into work and projects although that may not be facing my problem but it keeps me busy but one thing thats always kept me going is thinking that in time it things will get better , ive been through alot in my life and i'm still going strong. I'm not sure if that helps you lol, but i think its great that your sharing what is going on in your life i think more bloggers shouldn't be afraid to show the real you
When it hits me I write...and I write and I listen to some music(usually Alanis, cause she's sounds so angry and I sing my heart out with her) and then I write some more...but of course my depressions are not clinical depression so I won't know if it would help anyone other than myself.
When I get a bit down I try to get out and about and distract myself; play some music and dance around; and if all of that fails my husband always tries to make myself feel better and he can always make me smile.
You're a star Erin! And I love that your blog is the true meaning of personal. I posted about low self esteem a while back and it lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. No ones life is perfect and it's so important to remember that when reading happy clappy blogs all the time. xx
I've just been unhappy on and off for years and finally started therapy a while ago to hopefully get to the core of my feelings. The best advice I can give is to acknowledge that something does not feel quite right, but also to let yourself know that this feeling is okay and you can take your time to figure out a way to combat it. When I feel down, I just try to listen to my heart and instincts and give myself the quiet time and solitude I need. My husband knows I need me-time on the bad days, and I have also let my friends know what I sometimes go through. I feel that being honest is a relief, because trying to keep your emotions a secret and attempting to function normally is really not that easy. I like just lying on the floor and actively listening to music, which fills my head and chases away any negative thoughts. I also try and be absolutely 'in the moment', like for example when I make a pot of tea, I try to go through all the motions slowly, smelling the leaves, counting the spoons out, just waiting for the water to boil instead of doing something else in the meantime, lighting the tealight, inhaling the steam... That makes me feel like I am really treating myself to something good.
Sweet Erin!
A couple of years ago I had horrible depression and anxiety. I would say there were three major steps I took to recover.
One, I was living with a crummy boyfriend who was keeping me downnn - so I got the fuck out! Two, I never wanted to do anything but sleep so I started really putting an effort into doing projects (this would be when I started my public blog! I also did an online class (Indie Biz 2.0) and it was great talking to other people and having "homework" to focus on).
Three, acupuncture. Seriously. I don't buy into weird and alternative medicines, and tried acupuncture in a moment of desperation. Told the lady what was going on, and for a handful of months I went every week. This sounds super kooky but I seriously think it changed my body. I could feel myself getting better (physically and mentally) every week. Since then, I've had zero panic attacks, zero bouts with flu or cold, and no depression. I think it's really worth looking into and cannot recommend highly enough!
You got this. ♥
When I start getting down I listen to upbeat music (I've determined that it's really hard to be depressed while listening to "Rock Lobster"). Or, I make myself do things that I don't want to do. Namely, get out of the house. I'll force myself to go out with friends even if I'm not really feeling it because it helps me snap out of it. (Neither of these methods are full proof, but they tend to help.)
Hey Erin! I read this post and the last one today and I have to tell you that I can really relate lately. I remember being really happy early last year and then after summer ended I hit a slump. It's weird for me because it's usually my favorite time of year. I know a lot of it had to do with my brother getting ready to leave, but I was just so bummed and didn't know how to get over it. It still kind of feel it hanging over me and I hate that! Thanks for writing this and sharing it with us! I hope this year will be different for both of us!
Much love sweet lady!
I battle it daily and some days I can barely get out of bed, shower and get to work. Taking a shower and getting outside helps me a lot. It's too easy to stay cooped up. Also doing anything crafty always cheers me up. When I say anything, I mean anything; finger painting, playing with clay or wooden sticks.
Stay positive!
lizz
Hi! Guess what, I started blogging as well ;-) But yeah, I've been suffering from depression most of my life (I'm 24 and been depressed I guess since I was 10???) so I'm sort of "used to living with it". When the blues hit me, I just lay low and and wait for it to go away. Ever since starting therapy and medication I've learned to recognize my blues better. Which ones are normal blues and which ones are depression. I really don't have any tools to make it better, I'm afraid. Meds have made the blues more tolerable and rare but when it comes, it comes. Sorry for sounding so negative :-P Oh and p.s. I love your blog! Greetings from Finland -Kirsi ;-)
I've had "major depressive episodes" for years now, and my psych is hovering at a diagnosis for bipolar. Bipolar. When I heard that I was crushed - that isn't just depression, it's like a life sentence. It makes sense though, but it also hurts because there are people in my family who believe depression is a state of mind and doesn't exist, while I've got a paper telling me it makes up my chemistry.
When I'm having downs, I do not want to leave my room (I spent 2 months in my house, staying in bed, being out of school) and of course this is detrimental. When this happens, I have to tell myself I can't do it. I run to take a shower, as sad as that sounds, because it's the first most basic need in order to leave the house. When you're sad, as gross as it sounds, you can skip showering so easily and it becomes a cycle.
I push myself to go to places like Barnes and Noble, pick up books, walk around malls, be around people - even if I don't know them.
Other times, I instantly want to take flight - and this isn't always a bad thing. A nice long drive with music that I need (even depressing as hell music helps).
Anyway, I'm on meds, I see someone, and I've lately laid low when I'm down. The first thing I think: "Who the hell wants a depressed friend". When I'm around people, I'm happy, but what happens when you tell them you have depression? They might think you are a Debbie Downer, and stay clear.
I think my depression has helped me in that I'm more empathetic towards people - depression isn't an egocentric thing and most of the time truly depressed people will never let on unless they want you to know. It's amazing what kind of actress you become when you are sad.
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